LinkedIn Top Voices 2017: India

The 15 must-follow writers and creators covering what’s important in India today.

They offer insightful perspectives, analyse key developments and trigger rich conversations: Meet the most sought-after Indian voices on LinkedIn. It’s a diverse mix — entrepreneurs, journalists, bankers, even a student — all united by their keenness to create useful articles, posts and videos for the largest collective of professionals ever assembled.

From tackling corporate governance issues to improving Delhi’s air quality and achieving work-life balance, these writers have covered a range of topics. And they don’t just share their views — they trigger healthy debates, in which thousands of other professionals participate. India’s Top Voices, on average, got nearly 98,000 new follows this year, and their content received 54 times more likes and 4 times more comments than other contributors.

To compile the list, we use a combination of data and editorial signals designed to capture the voices making a mark in their industries, region or country. This includes engagement (specifically the likes, comments and shares across each member’s articles, posts and videos); growth of followers tied to publishing activity; and number of times the writer had been featured in editorial channels, a signal of high-quality content. We also emphasize diversity of topics and voices. The list reflects publishing activity over a 12-month period, from November 2016 to November 2017, and as with all LinkedIn Lists, we excluded LinkedIn and Microsoft employees from consideration.

In the third edition of our annual #LinkedInTopVoices list in India, we raise a toast to the 15 members who have played a key part in making LinkedIn the place to be for high-quality professional conversations.

Here are the #LinkedInTopVoices in India this year:

Muqbil Ahmar | Technology Journalist

What he talks about: “Would this make the world a better place?” That’s the first question Muqbil Ahmar — a tech journalist and environmentalist — asks himself before drafting an article. And that reflects in his choice of topics: human resources, climate change and social impact, to name a few.

Favourite conversation starter: “India, China race to go green: World’s largest floating solar plant launched,” struck a chord with readers as India is a power-deficit country. The article was read more than 118,000 times and started an impressive conversation with more than 1,500 comments.

Favourite book of 2017: Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Startup Bubble, in which Dan Lyons writes about navigating multiple waves of technological disruption. The reason? Lyons “perfectly nails the startup culture and gives an insider’s perspective.”

See more by Muqbil Ahmar

Tamal Bandyopadhyay | Consulting Editor, Mint

What he talks about: A banking wizard with a penchant for everything finance, Tamal Bandyopadhyay’s articles provide deep insights into macroeconomic realities — from economic policy to currency volatility and banks’ bad assets. Bandyopadhyay weaves in the human angle by articulating how shifts in the finance world affect you.

Favourite conversation starter: Like most seasoned columnists, “it's difficult to pick one,” he says. But his behind-the-scenes take on the IndusInd Bank-Bharat Financial merger and his critique of Crisil picking up under 10% stake in a rival rater, come close. “I would like to believe that India's capital market regulator drafted norms to cap a rater's stake in another after I flagged off the issue,” Bandyopadhyay says.

What he'll be watching for in 2018: As a reader, Bandyopadhyay is closely tracking the political landscape as India prepares for general elections in early 2019. The banking aficionado in him wants to know whether the worst is over in the banks’ bad loans crisis.

See more by Tamal Bandyopadhyay

Annesha Dutta | Founder, AskAnnie

What she talks about: This entrepreneur-cum-educator, who dropped out of Ph.D (English Lit) because she thought “literary academic research was out of touch with social reality,” not only writes but also posts videos on how to build a stellar video resume, ace interviews and improve communication skills, among others.

Favourite conversation starter: Dutta’s “Why Leaders Must Be Readers,” as the name suggests, advises readers on what can make them better leaders. With over 25,000 likes, this article received an overwhelming response.

How her writing on LinkedIn led to interesting opportunities: Her videos, articles and posts have given her tremendous visibility. She has been “invited to a lot of corporates and some colleges” to conduct workshops and training sessions on public speaking and communication.

See more by Annesha Dutta

Swati Jena | Founder, GhostWritersWorld

What she talks about: This product management expert-turned-entrepreneur writes on a range of topics, from company culture and social issues to artificial intelligence. Her articles, be it on mentorship or the DACA repeal, have resonated with readers, with some terming her pieces “articulate” and “eloquent”.

Favourite conversation starter: “Why the premise we build our life on, decides how far we will go,” is based on a philosophy she firmly believes in — that “I have bills to pay” is a dangerous excuse.

How her writing on LinkedIn led to exciting opportunities: For Jena, the biggest win in writing on LinkedIn wasn’t about making outside connections — it simply helped fire her entrepreneur-self. “Writing on LinkedIn gave me the encouragement to start my own writing company and groom other writers…and write my book, The Entrepreneur's Soulbook - Is it your cup of tea?"

See more by Swati Jena

Parag Kar | Vice President (Government Affairs, India and South Asia), QUALCOMM

What he talks about: Kar watches Indian telecom like a hawk. He prefers to conduct original research on the implications of radio spectrum and licensing regulations on stakeholders. When he’s not poring over policy documents, Kar writes about productivity improvement techniques.

Favourite conversation starter: Kar has a special affinity for “The untold story of the 2G scam”, which elaborates the largely misunderstood impact of the corruption scandal on the consumer. He’s also proud of “What is leadership?”, in which he explains how anybody can nurture and practice the art of leading people.

From ideating to writing: Kar strongly believes that jotting ideas on paper is the best way to sharpen one’s understanding of any subject. Mornings, especially on weekends, are when he prefers to give wings to his thoughts as the mind is free of “work-related distractions.”

See more by Parag Kar

Vartika Kashyap | Marketing Manager, ProofHub

What she talks about: Kashyap, a marketing manager with a tilt towards everything digital, terms success “orchestrated harmony between productivity, team building and work culture.” And that’s why most of her articles are inspired by office situations and work-related events.

Favourite conversation starter: Her 200th article — “Don’t let your good employees bid adieu with a heavy heart” — exhorted managers to go out of their way to ensure that employee serving their notice period leave on a high note.

Why she writes and shares on Linkedin: Her thought leadership allowed Kashyap to connect with leaders from all over the globe, she says. The LinkedIn experience also opened doors to contribute to news websites such as The Huffington Post, YourStory and The Next Web, besides others.

See more by Vartika Kashyap

Anuja Lath | Co-founder and COO, RedAlkemi

What she talks about: As the founder of a venture focused on online marketing services for small businesses, this entrepreneur provides her insights on a range of topics, including effective blogging skills, basics of influencer marketing and Twitter hacks for startups. Her work is always accompanied by a simple infographic “to put the message across quickly,” she says.

Favourite conversation starter: On this year’s International Women’s Day, Lath wrote an article advising her younger self to set goals, take on more responsibility and be okay with making mistakes.

Her writing process: It’s simple – her writings reflect her day-to-day activities. “Our ideas come while we're working on solutions (for clients),” she says. Once the solutions are discovered, Lath and her team turn these into compact content snippets that can be useful to others.

See more by Anuja Lath

Procyon Mukherjee | Chief Procurement Officer, LafargeHolcim

What he talks about: Having spent several years in strategic leadership roles, Mukherjee writes mostly on “macroeconomics and topics that are contemporary and relevant for economies struggling to perform,” he tells LinkedIn.

Favourite conversation starter: Out of more than 100 articles written in the last year, the Lafarge executive names “Governance: Inside and Outside” as his top pick. His favourite line: "Governance is about the self-correcting mechanism that leaves more purity, like the natural spirit of the water bodies that sustain the ecosystem around it; almost like Montesquieu's Spirit of Laws and the world would immensely benefit if the spirit lives as well as the laws."

Where he does his best writing: “In the most unusual circumstances,” says Mukherjee. Writing comes naturally to him, and some of his articles were seeded on his smartphone in unusual settings, like in the midst of a family gathering or on board a flight at 35,000 feet.

See more by Procyon Mukherjee

Ajit Patil | Professor, ICFAI Business School and IBS (Mumbai)

What he talks about: This educator and corporate trainer writes on a number of topics that “converge towards a couple of main themes: India (Education and Politics), and Leadership & Management (Public/Private).”.

Favourite conversation starter: Each of his 50 articles is as dear to him as his child and he considers them as part of his “identity,” he says. His recent article, “Why do ‘Men on mission’ deliver?”, explains how a goal is different from a mission and how a mission makes people more productive. Readers loved it.

How he comes up with ideas: A “talkative person,” Patil bought a dictaphone solely to record his ideas for LinkedIn posts. “It hits me while I am in the class or on my desk or driving on the highway, taking a morning walk or swimming in a pool. I fear I might forget it. I would immediately open my laptop, click on 'write an article' tab, write the title and a few thoughts and save the draft.” He has 30 unpublished drafts on LinkedIn.

See more by Ajit Patil

Shalini Prakash | Venture Partner, 500 Startups

What she talks about: An aspiring entrepreneur-turned venture capitalist, Shalini Prakash believes “great things happen when technology and entrepreneurship intersect.” After spending considerable time with accelerators such as GSF, she is now leading India investments and portfolio for 500 Startups.

Favourite conversation starter: “How can "Unknown Problem- Solving" improve your Sales?”, in which Prakash talks about sales hacks.

Where startups will focus their investments in the next year: Prakash has observed that investors are not only looking for app-focused marketplaces anymore. “They are moving towards core IP and technology products/ solutions and looking for really passionate entrepreneurs solving local and global problems.” The rise in conversations around blockchain and cryptocurrency makes her believe that these segments will attract a lot of VC attention in 2018.

See more by Shalini Prakash

K Yatish Rajawat | Chief Strategy Officer, LocalCircles

What he talks about: This journalist-turned-startup-strategist is fascinated by the confluence of policy, economics and technology. From deep-rooted problems in the agriculture sector to how to tackle pollution in Delhi, Rajawat’s well-researched articles struck a chord with many.

Favourite conversation starter: He’s spoilt for choice as several of his pieces have helped in “changing the course of policy and commonly known narratives.” Rajawat’s diverse body of work includes pieces in tech (Can Indian IT industry pivot), finance (Capital investments at a tipping point in India) and climate change (Pollution problem can't be solved by govt. Requires behaviour change)

Where he does his best writing: True to his journalism roots, Rajawat is always thinking about the next article. And that means he can give shape to his ideas anywhere — inside a cab, at a conference or on a flight.

See more by K Yatish Rajawat

Prabal Basu Roy | CEO, Diptish Investments and Fund Advisors Inc

What he talks about: A PE fund manager, Roy’s interest lies at the intersection of current affairs, leadership and strategy. He minces no words in dissecting matters of governance and public policy. Based on years of experience, he analyses hot topics in the corporate world and has written articles on the Infosys saga or job cuts in the IT industry.

Favourite conversation starter: Roy’s been ardently following the board battle at Infosys. His last article on the episode — “Infosys: Demi Gods too have feet of clay” — generated a thoughtful conversation on the topic; one commenter called it "so beautifully analysed, well balanced and excellent use of words."

What he’s watching in 2018: Not surprisingly, he wants to know if Infosys can maintain its technology leadership amid all the internal and external challenges. Roy is also keen to see how the government handles the jobless growth syndrome.

See more by Prabal Basu Roy

Nirmit Shah | Student, MICA

What he talks about: One of Linkedin India’s first campus editors, Shah gets his writing ideas from classroom discussions and conversations with friends. “I write when I feel enlightened,” he says.

Favourite conversation starter: “Hey fellow students, are you really paying the college for education anymore?”, in which he talks about what college education means for a student, triggered a healthy conversation. “I believe that if they understand this simple truth, we would see much more increase in productivity and happiness of Indian students in terms of their education and future careers,” he says.

The news story he followed closely in 2017: Being a B-school student, he has been closely following how Reliance Jio disrupted the telecom industry. “It has been interesting to see how it has shifted the Indian consumers directly from 2G to 4G and from TVs to smartphones,” Shah says.

See more by Nirmit Shah

Adhil Shetty | CEO, BankBazaar.com

What he talks about: This financial advisor and entrepreneur writes with an aim of equipping people with “high-quality information to help them save, invest, insure and borrow better.” Not just tips — you will often spot examples from his personal experience in the articles.

Favourite conversation starter: “A meeting with Prime Minister Modi.” Adhil was elated to realise how BankBazar’s mission aligns with the Indian premier’s vision for paperless finance. He supports Modi’s “vision for a digitized India” that would eventually ensure everyone has access to all financial products on mobile.

The news story he followed closely in 2017: As a finance guru, it is only natural that Shetty closely followed India’s quick transition to a cashless economy, and subsequently the growth in Unified Payments Interface, Immediate Payment Service, and debit/credit card payments.

See more by Adhil Shetty

Hari TN | Head HR, BigBasket

What he talks about: Hari TN calls a spade a spade. The IIMC alumnus, who currently heads HR at BigBasket, prefers to write about scaling of startups — “a combination of both people issues as well as strategic issues that if not handled well can cause the wheels to come off as a startup scales,” he says.

Favourite conversation starter: "What I learned working for a young boss," an article based on his experience working at TaxiForSure. The post received love from the LinkedIn audience and was also republished by The Huffington Post, Business Insider and other publications.

What he’s watching in 2018: Hari TN had predicted last year that Snapdeal would have a tough run in 2017. “I think in 2018 we are likely to see many startups that were funded solely on the premise that some bigger player would acquire them biting the dust,” he says.

See more by Hari TN

Share your thoughts on this year's Top Voices list using #LinkedInTopVoices.